Erdogan to Asharq Al-Awsat: Makkah agreement boosts deterrence, targets no country
RIYADH: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that his country’s relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are a “strategic relationship,” revealing that the coming phase will witness steps that would “elevate relations between the two countries to much higher levels.”
He stated that the Strait of Hormuz is one of the vital arteries of the global economy, adding: “Our hope and expectation is that the current tension will end as soon as possible, and that the Strait of Hormuz will return to performing its role in serving international trade in a safe, stable, and uninterrupted manner.”
Erdogan was responding to written questions submitted to him by Asharq Al-Awsat following his signing of the “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement” with Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Makkah last week. In his responses, the Turkish President stated that “it is a mistake to reduce the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement to being viewed as a mere situational reflection” of the escalation between the US and Iran.
He explained that “the matter should not be viewed solely through a military lens; rather, the primary goal of this agreement is to enhance its deterrent dimension, fortify the security incentive of the parties by strengthening the spirit of solidarity among them, and protect regional stability.”
